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Geigers
The Geigers are a group of tailors, traders, farmers, and egotistical hipsters stationed in Capitol Hill, Cascadia, in 2281. A blend of privilege and post-war depressionism, they are bound by a common ideology, art. This group of pretentious reformists dabble in the more archaic forms of pre-War history: things like art, fashion, music, culinary skills, drinking, and other forgotten deeds of old. Members take pride in themselves for their individuality, originality, and trendsetting prowess, despite the despairs of post-apocalyptia, and dress in extremely avant-garde attire, fit with snobbish attitudes. Spawned from the bohemian views of Cascadia's post-War survivors, they lead unconventional, artistic lives. They try to live by the ideals of truth, freedom, love, and all those beautiful-sounding concepts which were lost when the bombs fell. Society Clothing To them, “clothes maketh the man” is not just their motto: it is their way of life. No two members look the same regarding style, color, mannerism and personal preferences. One man’s trash is literally treasure for the group, and Pre-War attire is more sought after than clean water. They suit themselves in tightly fitting or extremely loose clothes, of all colors of the rainbow, and fashion together anything they can out of anything available. Most choose to cut their hair in unusual ways, weaving weird styles and shaving parts out, forming patterns and indentations. Some Geigers will even wear clothes of that of the opposite sex, be it a dress as a coat or jeans as a jacket. With a plethora of imaginative attire, packaged with their radical attitude, they are undoubtedly one of the most unusual, but unique factions in Cascadia. The average style would be that of an absurd hairstyle, Pre-War hat, unnecessary reading glasses, unkempt facial hair, and eccentric trinkets. Gas masks and hazmat suits are the standard attire of the post-war inhabitants, but many Geigers risk lung failure and future health problems just so they can show a little flare. Geiger counters are a commonplace item in Cascadia, due to the high levels of second-hand radiation spewed around the area. As such, they have become a fashion accessory, and nearly every member has one situated somewhere visible on their person; some even have more, for bragging rights. Though rare, it is not unheard of for the Geigers to not wear any form of radiation protection. Zipties, straps, buttons, and nails are all used to stitch and sew together new avant-garde articles of clothing. Every few years they enter a new season of style, and the group adapt to them or branch off on their own tangents. Entertainment The Geigers are also known for their quirky leisure time. They mingle in various social locations like indie bars, underground clubs, and locally owned coffeehouses. They have formed mini groups or cliques within the group itself and rarely engage with each other outside competitions, business, or exhibitions. Most of these locations were untouched by atomic warfare and fallout, so they still have authentic value and are radically protected. Others, however, have been refurbished, designed and decorated to give the illusion of age. Moreover, the Geigers enjoy being ironic and tongue-in-cheek. They will throw banquet parties, for instance, in which they try to out-kitsch one another when providing a meal. Guests will try and out-do the host and vice versa, with the meal usually ending with plates and fists flying through the air: Petty rivalries like so have strengthened the group and created long-lasting family bonds. Concerning coffee shops and outlets, little has changed since Pre-War times – coffee shops preyed on the pretentious then, and still do now. They offer a space to talk, debate, and ridicule in secret. Many celebrations, gatherings, and meetings are held in these areas, with most of the bylaws and court affairs being settled over a homegrown cup and a homemade cookie. Travelers usually shy from purchasing from them, however, as the prices are generally through the roof for outsiders, but the quality of their coffee is the best in Washington. Culture Art Creativity, emotion, and expression are the traits members of the Geigers yearn for. They believe in Pre-War aesthetics and philosophy and have tried to keep art alive, despite the major setbacks of the Great War and its aftermath. 200 years since the apocalypse, arts and crafts flourish across Capitol Hill thanks to the Geigers. Painting is a major up taking, as well as charcoal and granite use, and members create still life works, scenery, and even portraiture. They also dabble in sculpture, turning chunks of old concrete into eye candy. Filling and carving ruins into intricate, but questionable 'art', Capitol Hill is plagued by horribly pretentious sculpture. As of the year 2230, the group has been able to find and fix pre-war analog cameras and use them to practice snapshot photography. With this new medium, it has caused a bit of a divide in the group; you have the painting loyalists, who are seen as archaic; then you have the photography reformists, who are seen as untalented. Artistic workstations and outlets have sprung up around the province, forming mediums where the group can express their imaginative work. These workstations are sacred places where the paint is mixed, clay is formed, pencils are sharpened, and dreams are translated into reality. The majority of the art produced, which are not purposely post-post-modernist, are narrative tales of the Geigers' histories and experiences. However, 99% of the 'art' that comes from the group is profoundly subjective, avant-garde, and pretentious. Language Known around Cascadia as the “Capitol Accent”, the Geigers have bastardized their own rendition of the English language. They have incorporated other languages like French and German, forming a strange dialect. Outsiders find it hard to communicate with the group outside of standard phrases. They are also extremely fond of trying to kick-start new words and terms, just as their ancestors did, and horribly butcher English linguistics with poorly thought out . Examples of their peculiar dialect include greetings like "Ahoy", which is used in turn more than "Hello". Ahoy is presumably derived from their fascination with pre-war sailors and seaman culture. Other examples include "Morn" or "Mornie", which is used for early greetings, and "Eve" or "Evie", used for late sign-offs. They have made countless alterations to the English language, and some would find it insulting to still call it English. Religion The Geigers generally shy away from common religious beliefs, as they disapprove of Godly figures, doctrine, and commandants. They find religion constraining, but most see the importance of it. Some of the members have even made up their own little superstitions as satirical jests, for example, Stacheism is the spiritual belief of fine mustaches. In the end, the Geigers are a secular group, though they love to poke fun at religions. Ultimately, the central religious belief of the group is a quaint derivative known as . Government The Geigers value independence as one of their principal values. Before the Geigers were officially established in 2102 by Alexander Black, the group was once divided into innumerable clans and cliques around Capitol Hill, with violent rivalries and skirmishes common between them. Over the years since the Great War, however, they have hastily adapted to the new dilemma of total thermonuclear warfare and joined forces in hopes of persevering through the hardships of post-Great-War fallout. To survive as a species, they had to unite under one society. Leaders Politics Despite it not being as relevant anymore, Geigers still hold political and philosophical ideals. They tend to debate over neo-Liberal or ironic pseudo-Republican views and ponder what life was like for their ancestors before the Great War. Meanwhile, some other Geigers have embraced post-War teachings and philosophies in place of what they see as "failed" ideologies, with the most notable being Thornism. Subgroups Each subgroup within the Geigers has appointed 'trustees' who let the voices of their clans be heard on the GC, the Committee of the Geigers. This is a list of all known subgroups within the group, and a description of what they were and are. Economy They are not a militant group, and as such, are highly dependent on economic trade and commerce to thrive (and not be seen as redundant by surrounding groups). With years of agricultural experience, they sell homegrown food and surplus material. In some cases, they are known to venture to other friendly settlements, aiding them by planting gardens and giving them instructions on how to cultivate. Chems Acknowledged throughout wider Cascadia for the potent cannabis they produce, the Geigers are essentially the friendly neighborhood dealers. Despite it also being cultivated for its beneficial hemp fiber, the majority of customers use it for psychoactive pursuits. They also market cannabis in a dwindled down beverage form, sold as a meditation aid and as a useful painkiller. Cannabis is also traded medicinally to treat glaucoma and other illness, used to increase appetite, and used to make tedious tasks and jobs more entertaining. It is not uncommon for the Geigers themselves to be high out of their minds, but this is generally on their own free time. They are also the pioneers of a new, quirky chem provincially popular around Capitol Hill. Known as "Jars", they are a new form of budget recreational chems made and consumed by despairing Cascadia junkies and egotistical settlers alike to induce a pleasant sense of escapism. Aptly named, Jars are hallucinatory, psychoactive chems which are encased inside glass , branded with the group's sigil. Absorbed through a huffing action, users pop the lid and allow the vapors and fumes to enter their nostrils. The distillation and creation process of Jars is a heavily guarded secret, and obviously, copies have popped up all around the state, but everyone knows that the only place to get the real good stuff is directly from the Geigers. Farming The Geigers like to work hard and get their hands dirty when they are not off gallivanting or parading. Their wider role in wasteland society is solely agricultural; they quickly realized that they needed to do something productive to at least give them credibility, and to deter stronger groups from just killing them all out of disgust. As such, they fill the role of the gatherer, as they grow, cultivate, and provide the majority of the food sources around the Cascadia wastes. The Geigers are also known for their weekly Farmer's Markets, where the best grains and produce are sold at cheap rates. Consumers flock from all around to get a taste of the group's fruits and veggies, which are generally marked down heavily. The reason for the cheap prices is because the group has in-group competitions to see who can sell more and who can make more. Generally, the events are held on Thursdays annually, weather and produce permitting. The group views farming as more than an endless, back-breaking chore spanning years and years: they see the process as a spiritual undertaking, with a useful purpose, and is essential for rebuilding the world. In their area of Capitol Hill, nothing really goes on in terms of warfare and danger, and they are fortunate enough to live tranquil lives free of despair and death. For the next generation coming into the fold, they have their work literally cut out for them. For over a century, their ancestors have worked the tilling fields and have developed the land through many seasons, with plans for much more to come. itself has been fashioned into shares of green housing, plantations, horticulture, and other essential agricultural pursuits. The Geigers have cleverly crafted their farming systems so that they, and only they, know how to use it effectively. This was so it ensured that they actually had some advantage, and they hoped that the intricate agrarian systems deterred bullies from just taking what they wanted and gutting them. Produce With much of their focus on sustainability and community building, their days are usually spent on the soil, grooming a variety of crops, and raising farm animals. Most Geigers are up at early hours of the morning, feeding chickens, filling troughs, shoveling refuse, and tilling the barren fields, with the older members generally getting up the earliest. Greenhouses have allowed the group to farm produce in a more controlled environment when compared to the open air, and also allows experimentation with fungus, grains, and seeds. Cascadia dumpsters have been altered into compost bins; flower gardens have been tilled into vegetable mounds, and rainwater is collected and redistributed agriculturally. For centuries they have sought to install functional water pumps, but still do not have the required expertise, locational resources, or knowledge to build them. Shamefully, many abandoned water distribution rigs are strewn about the place by hopeful members who quickly got overwhelmed and gave up on inventing water irrigation systems. As such, water has to be manually distributed by hand. Luckily enough for them, they have the largest water reserve in the province. Water The , though ancient and wounded by the Great War, still stands thanks to the Carrington family who ordered its refurbishment a decade before the Geigers came to form as one. With the Water Tower, renovated and refurbished in 2092, the Geigers have played an essential role in the distribution of water around the Capitol Hill province and its surrounding settlements. Though the water trade did have a greedy, Machiavellian start, over the course of a century, the Geigers have grown more liberal and lenient; heavy water prices have now dwindled down to reasonable prices, and can either be paid for through currency, barter, or preferably work. Without this fundamental change in water prices and acquisition, the Geigers would have undoubtedly been killed and their Water Tower usurped many years ago by poorer, more desperate post-apocalyptic survivors. Over time, the Geigers realized the importance of water and its benefits. Their agricultural arrangements were massively dependent on the abundance and irrigation from the Water Tower that would provide for and cultivate their seasonal harvests. Without this near potable, sanitary source, they would likely starve or resort to carnivorous diets. Animal Husbandry More than half of the Geigers live off of vegetarian and vegan regimes. With that said, it is not a surprise that animals are not bred for food, but for milk and mostly work. Though unethical in a sense, they would rather put a Brahmin to work than put a Brahmin to the knife. Every group, however, has outliers: a subgroup within the Geigers known as the Townsend, a former tribe who have always raised, trained, and eaten animals, continue their age-old practices despite the disdain of the other groups within the Geigers. The Townsend are also the kennel masters and trainers of the livestock, keeping them well fed, healthy, and happy. For years they have had this role, and have been beneficial to the Geigers development and the furtherance of their trade routes. Domesticated animals like dogs, Brahmin, and even molerats and radstags help their caravans move between neighboring settlements. The domestication of the latter two is somewhat new in the timeline of the group, but has increased their efficiency profoundly. Molerats and Radstags are faster and more secure. Radstags can quickly deliver items in a fraction of the time Brahmin can; Molerats can carry surprisingly more than they seem, and can defend themselves, unlike Brahmin. To pacify and domesticate these naturally wild animals, they are nurtured from birth, trained by them, and fed by them, which gains their trust and loyalty. Since the animals were little, they have been feeding them, giving them meat and medicine until they got used to them. They do discipline them if the beasts misbehave, but are kindhearted and rewarding if they follow orders. With years of practice, the animals are tamed and obedient and can transport supplies and commerce between established trade routes, sometimes alone if instructed. Category:Groups Category:Caravan Companies Category:Cascadia